Editing Sexual intercourse (section)

===Definitions===
[[File:Édouard-Henri Avril (18).jpg|thumb|19th-century [[Eroticism|erotic]] interpretation of Roman emperor [[Hadrian]] and [[Antinous]] engaged in anal intercourse, by [[Édouard-Henri Avril]]]]
<!-- NOTE: This section was titled "Etymology and definitions." As the etymology material is defining sexual intercourse, and there is little material on the etymology, there appears to be no need to have separate sections. Per MOS:PARAGRAPHS, "Short paragraphs and single sentences generally do not warrant their own subheading." The heading was subsequently shortened to "Definitions" and added as a subsection of the Behaviors section (since it includes researchers' views and general views on definitions and behaviors).-->

''Sexual intercourse'' may be called ''coitus'', ''copulation'', ''coition'', or ''intercourse''. ''Coitus'' is derived from the [[Latin]] word ''coitio'' or ''coire'', meaning "a coming together or joining together" or "to go together", and is known under different ancient Latin names for a variety of sexual activities, but usually denotes penile–vaginal penetration.<ref name="Coitus">
* {{cite dictionary|title=Coitus| date=August 14, 2024| dictionary=[[Merriam-Webster]]|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coitus}}
* {{cite book| author = Fedwa Malti-Douglas |author-link=Fedwa Malti-Douglas |title = Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender: A-C |publisher = [[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan Reference]] | year = 2007 | page = 308 |isbn = 978-0-02-865961-9 |quote=Sexual intercourse. [T]he term coitus indicates a specific act of sexual intercourse that also is known as coition or copulation. This 'coming together' is generally understood in heteronormative terms as the penetration of a woman's vagina by a man's penis.}}
* {{cite book|title = The Encyclopedia of Mental Health | publisher = [[Infobase Publishing]] | year = 2008 | page = 111|isbn = 978-0-8160-6454-0| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tTFYIh-HcYYC&pg=PA111|author1=Ada P. Kahn |author2=Jan Fawcett }}
</ref> This is often called [[vaginal intercourse]] or ''vaginal sex.''<ref name="Alters"/><ref name="Carroll">See [https://books.google.com/books?id=gU3SZSh-eXsC&pg=PT334 page 302] for orgasm information, and [https://books.google.com/books?id=gU3SZSh-eXsC&pg=PT316 pages 285–286] for definitions, prevalence and length of sexual intercourse. {{cite book |vauthors=Carroll JL| title = Discovery Series: Human Sexuality| edition = 1st | publisher = [[Cengage Learning]]|pages=656 pages| isbn = 978-1-111-84189-8|year=2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gU3SZSh-eXsC}}</ref> ''Vaginal sex,'' and less often ''vaginal intercourse'', may also denote any vaginal sexual activity, particularly if [[Sexual penetration|penetrative]], including [[lesbian sexual practices|sexual activity between lesbian couples]].<ref name="Harvey">{{cite book|vauthors = Milkman HB, Wanberg KW | title = Pathways to Self-Discovery and Change: Criminal Conduct and Substance Abuse Treatment for Adolescents | publisher = [[SAGE Publications|SAGE]] | year = 2004 | pages = 254–255|isbn = 978-1-4129-0614-2| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=2ovqg5jfsN0C&pg=PA254}}</ref><ref name="Kinetics">{{cite book| vauthors = Kinetics H | title = Health and Wellness for Life| publisher = Human Kinetics | year = 2009 | page = 207|isbn = 978-0-7360-6850-5| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=2GZ7N4wOeGYC&pg=PA207}}</ref> ''Copulation'', by contrast, more often denotes the [[mating]] process, especially for non-human animals; it can mean a variety of sexual activities between opposite-sex or [[same-sex pairings]],<ref name="Barrows">{{cite book| vauthors = Barrows EM| title = Animal Behavior Desk Reference: A Dictionary of Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution | publisher = [[Taylor & Francis]] | year = 2011 | pages = 122–124 |isbn = 978-1-4398-3651-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2vf7ZbLENzEC&pg=PA122}}</ref> but generally means the [[Sexual reproduction|sexually reproductive]] act of transferring [[Spermatozoon|sperm]] from a male to a female or sexual procreation between a man and a woman.<ref name="Barrows"/><ref name="Copulation1">{{cite web|title=Copulation|publisher=[[Dorland's medical reference works|Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers]], 2007/[[TheFreeDictionary.com]] for various dictionary definitions|access-date=September 6, 2012|url=http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/copulation}}</ref><ref name="Copulation2">{{cite web|title=Copulation|publisher=[[The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language]], Fifth Edition|year=2011|access-date=August 23, 2013|url=http://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=Copulation}}</ref>

Although ''sex'' and ''having sex'' also most commonly denote penile–vaginal intercourse,<ref name="Most common2">
* {{cite book| author = Ken Plummer | author-link = Ken Plummer (sociologist) | title = Modern Homosexualities: Fragments of Lesbian and Gay Experiences | publisher = [[Routledge]] | year = 2002 | pages = 187–191 | access-date = August 24, 2013|isbn =978-1-134-92242-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OSO3q4XEfz4C&pg=PA189|quote=[S]ome sexual practices are regarded as inherently better (normal, natural, more satisfying) than others, with vaginal intercourse privileged as the 'Real Thing.' Such beliefs, influenced by views about sex as ultimately a reproductive function, continue to be perpetuated through discourses on sex despite a number of important contradictions.}}
* {{cite book | title = Handbook of Adolescent Psychology | publisher = [[John Wiley & Sons]] | year = 2004 | pages = 193–196 |isbn = 978-0-471-69044-3| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_wXasY1HyAYC&pg=PA193|quote=When researchers use the term ''sex'', they nearly always mean sexual intercourse&nbsp;– more specifically, penile–vaginal intercourse... The widespread, unquestioned equation of penile–vaginal intercourse with sex reflects a failure to examine systematically 'whether the respondent's understanding of the question matches what the researcher had in mind.'| author = Richard M. Lerner| author-link = Richard M. Lerner| author2 = Laurence Steinberg| author2-link = Laurence Steinberg}}
* See [https://books.google.com/books?id=6qNCeI2AcY4C&pg=PT11 page 11 onwards] and [https://books.google.com/books?id=pXXZn_qSoDoC&pg=PA48 pages 47–49] for views on what constitutes virginity loss and therefore sexual intercourse or other sexual activity; source discusses how gay and lesbian individuals define virginity loss, and how the majority of researchers and heterosexuals define virginity loss/"technical virginity" by whether a person has engaged in penile–vaginal sex. {{Cite book|author=Laura M. Carpenter|title=Virginity Lost: An Intimate Portrait of First Sexual Experiences|publisher=[[New York University|NYU Press]]|year = 2005|pages=295 pages |isbn=978-0-8147-1652-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pXXZn_qSoDoC}}
* {{cite book| author = Fedwa Malti-Douglas|title = Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender: A-C| publisher = [[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan Reference]] | year = 2007 | page = 308 |isbn = 978-0-02-865961-9|quote=Sexual intercourse. [T]he term coitus indicates a specific act of sexual intercourse that also is known as coition or copulation. This 'coming together' is generally understood in heteronormative terms as the penetration of a woman's vagina by a man's penis.}}
* {{cite book |author=Irving B. Weiner |author1-link=Irving B. Weiner |author2=W. Edward Craighead |title=The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology |volume=4 |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |year=2010 |page=1577 |access-date=August 21, 2013 |isbn=978-0-470-17023-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pUSG1BONmekC&pg=PA1577 |quote=Human sexual intercourse, or coitus, is one of the most common sexual outlets among adults. Sexual intercourse generally refers to penile penetration of the vagina.}}
* {{cite book| author = Clint E. Bruess| author2 = Elizabeth Schroeder|title = Sexuality Education Theory and Practice| publisher = [[Jones & Bartlett Publishers]] | year = 2013 | page = 152 |isbn = 978-1-4496-4928-9| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=WWFW6-kkAVoC&pg=PA152|quote=In many cultures around the world, vaginal sex is what is usually implied when people refer to 'having sex' or 'sexual intercourse'. It is the most frequently studied behavior and is often the focus of sexuality education programming for youth.}}</ref> ''sex'' can be significantly broad in its meaning and may cover any penetrative or [[non-penetrative sex|non-penetrative]] sexual activity between two or more people.<ref name="WHO, Sex"/> The [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) states that non-English languages and cultures use different words for sexual activity, "with slightly different meanings".<ref name="WHO, Sex"/> Various [[vulgarisms]], [[slang]], and [[euphemism]]s are used for sexual intercourse or other sexual activity, such as ''[[fuck]]'', ''screw'', ''shag'', and the phrase "sleep together".<ref name="Fuck">{{cite dictionary|title=Fuck|dictionary=[[Merriam-Webster]]|access-date=March 30, 2013|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fuck}}</ref><ref>{{cite dictionary|title=Shag|dictionary=[[Merriam-Webster]]|access-date=March 30, 2013|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shag}}</ref><ref name="Sleep together">{{cite web|title=Sleep together|publisher=[[TheFreeDictionary.com]]|access-date=March 30, 2013|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sleep+together}}</ref> The laws of some countries use the euphemism, [[carnal knowledge]]. Penetration of the vagina by the [[Erection|erect]] penis is additionally known as ''intromission'', or by the Latin name ''[[wikt:immissio#Latin|immissio]] [[wikt:penis#Latin|penis]]'' (Latin for "insertion of the penis").<ref name="Intromission">{{cite dictionary|title=Intromission| dictionary=[[Merriam-Webster]]|access-date=December 26, 2012|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intromission}}</ref> The age of first sexual intercourse is called ''sexarche''.<ref>{{cite web |title=sexarche - oi |publisher=Oxford University Press |work=Concise Medical Dictionary |url=http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100457655 |access-date=July 4, 2017 |archive-date=June 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624230226/https://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100457655 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="LaraAbdo2016">{{cite journal|vauthors=Lara LS, Abdo CH|title=Age at Time of Initial Sexual Intercourse and Health of Adolescent Girls|journal=Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology|volume=29|issue=5|year=2016|pages=417–423|issn=1083-3188|doi=10.1016/j.jpag.2015.11.012|pmid=26655691}}</ref>

Vaginal, anal and oral sex are recognized as sexual intercourse more often than other sexual behaviors.<ref name="Most common forms">
* {{cite web| title= Sexual Intercourse | publisher=[[Discovery Channel|Discovery.com]]| access-date=January 12, 2008 | url=http://health.discovery.com/centers/sex/sexpedia/intercourse.html |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080822040701/http://health.discovery.com/centers/sex/sexpedia/intercourse.html|archive-date = August 22, 2008}}
* {{cite book|author = Harvey B. Milkman|author2 = Kenneth W. Wanberg | title = Pathways to Self-Discovery and Change: Criminal Conduct and Substance Abuse Treatment for Adolescents | publisher = [[SAGE Publications|SAGE]] | year = 2004 | pages = 254–255|isbn = 978-1-4129-0614-2| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=2ovqg5jfsN0C&pg=PA254}}
* {{cite book| author = Nancy W. Denney| author2 = David Quadagno | title = Human Sexuality | publisher = [[Mosby-Year Book]] | year = 2008 | page = 273|isbn = 978-0-8016-6374-1}}</ref> Sexual activity that does not involve penile-vaginal sex or other sexual penetration might be used to retain virginity (sometimes called [[technical virginity]]) or labeled ''outercourse''.<ref name="Technical virginity">
* See [https://books.google.com/books?id=6qNCeI2AcY4C&pg=PT11 page 11 onwards] and [https://books.google.com/books?id=pXXZn_qSoDoC&pg=PA48 pages 47–49] for views on what constitutes virginity loss and therefore sexual intercourse or other sexual activity; source discusses how gay and lesbian individuals define virginity loss, and how the majority of researchers and heterosexuals define virginity loss/"technical virginity" by whether a person has engaged in penile–vaginal sex. {{Cite book|author=Laura M. Carpenter|title=Virginity Lost: An Intimate Portrait of First Sexual Experiences|publisher=[[New York University|NYU Press]]|year = 2005|access-date=October 9, 2011|pages=295 pages |isbn=978-0-8147-1652-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pXXZn_qSoDoC}}
* {{Cite book|author1=Bryan Strong |author2=Christine DeVault |author3=Theodore F. Cohen |author1-link=Bryan Strong |title=The Marriage and Family Experience: Intimate Relationship in a Changing Society| publisher = [[Cengage Learning]]|year = 2010|page = 186| isbn = 978-0-534-62425-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qjvoSOMB5JMC&pg=PA186|quote=Most people agree that we maintain virginity as long as we refrain from sexual (vaginal) intercourse. ...But occasionally we hear people speak of 'technical virginity' ... Other research, especially research looking into virginity loss, reports that 35% of virgins, defined as people who have never engaged in vaginal intercourse, have nonetheless engaged in one or more other forms of heterosexual activity (e.g. oral sex, anal sex, or mutual masturbation). ... Data indicate that 'a very significant proportion of teens ha[ve] had experience with oral sex, even if they haven't had sexual intercourse, and may think of themselves as virgins'.}}
* {{cite book | title = Our Sexuality | publisher = [[Cengage Learning]] | year = 2010 | pages = 286–289 |isbn = 978-0-495-81294-4| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=MpRnPtmdRVwC&pg=PA286|quote=Noncoital forms of sexual intimacy, which have been called outercourse, can be a viable form of birth control. Outercourse includes all avenues of sexual intimacy other than penile–vaginal intercourse, including kissing, touching, mutual masturbation, and oral and anal sex. |author1=Robert Crooks |author2=Karla Baur }}
* {{cite book|vauthors=UD, TK|title =Promoting Healthy Behaviour: A Practical Guide | publisher = [[Routledge]] | year = 2014 | pages = 243–248|isbn =978-1-317-81887-8| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=63XMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA243}}</ref> One reason virginity loss is often based on penile–vaginal intercourse is because heterosexual couples may engage in anal or oral sex as a way of being sexually active while maintaining that they are virgins since they have not engaged in the reproductive act of coitus.<ref name="Technical virginity 2">
* See [https://books.google.com/books?id=6qNCeI2AcY4C&pg=PT11 page 11 onwards] and [https://books.google.com/books?id=pXXZn_qSoDoC&pg=PA48 pages 47–49] for views on what constitutes virginity loss and therefore sexual intercourse or other sexual activity; source discusses how gay and lesbian individuals define virginity loss, and how the majority of researchers and heterosexuals define virginity loss/"technical virginity" by whether a person has engaged in penile–vaginal sex. {{Cite book|author=Laura M. Carpenter|title=Virginity Lost: An Intimate Portrait of First Sexual Experiences|publisher=[[New York University|NYU Press]]|year = 2005|access-date=October 9, 2011|pages=295 pages |isbn=978-0-8147-1652-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pXXZn_qSoDoC}}
* {{Cite book|author1=Bryan Strong |author2=Christine DeVault |author3=Theodore F. Cohen |author1-link=Bryan Strong |title=The Marriage and Family Experience: Intimate Relationship in a Changing Society| publisher = [[Cengage Learning]]|year = 2010|page = 186| isbn = 978-0-534-62425-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qjvoSOMB5JMC&pg=PA186|quote=Most people agree that we maintain virginity as long as we refrain from sexual (vaginal) intercourse. ...But occasionally we hear people speak of 'technical virginity' ... Other research, especially research looking into virginity loss, reports that 35% of virgins, defined as people who have never engaged in vaginal intercourse, have nonetheless engaged in one or more other forms of heterosexual activity (e.g. oral sex, anal sex, or mutual masturbation). ... Data indicate that 'a very significant proportion of teens ha[ve] had experience with oral sex, even if they haven't had sexual intercourse, and may think of themselves as virgins'.}}
* {{cite book|vauthors=UD, TK|title =Promoting Healthy Behaviour: A Practical Guide | publisher = [[Routledge]] | year = 2014 | pages = 243–248|isbn =978-1-317-81887-8| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=63XMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA243}}</ref> Some [[gay men]] consider [[frot]] or oral sex as a way of maintaining their virginities, with penile-anal penetration used as sexual intercourse and for virginity loss, while other gay men may consider frot or oral sex as their main forms of sexual activity.<ref name="Carpenter"/><ref name="Virgin">{{cite magazine|vauthors=Gross MJ|title = Like a Virgin|id = 0001-8996|magazine=[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]]|publisher=[[Here Media]]|year=2003|pages=44–45|access-date=March 13, 2011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eWQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44}}</ref><ref name="Dolby">{{cite magazine|vauthors=Dolby T|title=Why Some Gay Men Don't Go All The Way|magazine=[[Out (magazine)|Out]]|date=February 2004|access-date=February 12, 2011|pages=76–77|publisher=Here|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jmIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA76}}</ref> Lesbians may categorize oral sex or [[Fingering (sexual act)|fingering]] as sexual intercourse and subsequently an act of virginity loss,<ref name="Carpenter">See [https://books.google.com/books?id=6qNCeI2AcY4C&pg=PT11 page 11 onwards] and [https://books.google.com/books?id=pXXZn_qSoDoC&pg=PA48 pages 47–49] for views on what constitutes virginity loss and therefore sexual intercourse or other sexual activity; source discusses how gay and lesbian individuals define virginity loss, and how the majority of researchers and heterosexuals define virginity loss/"technical virginity" by whether a person has engaged in penile–vaginal sex. {{Cite book|vauthors=Carpenter LM|title=Virginity Lost: An Intimate Portrait of First Sexual Experiences|publisher=[[New York University|NYU Press]]|year = 2005|pages=295 pages |isbn=978-0-8147-1652-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pXXZn_qSoDoC}}</ref><ref name="Lerner">{{cite book|vauthors=Lerner RM, Steinberg L|title = Handbook of Adolescent Psychology | publisher = [[John Wiley & Sons]] | year = 2004 | pages = 193–196 |isbn = 978-0-471-69044-3| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_wXasY1HyAYC&pg=PA193|quote=When researchers use the term ''sex'', they nearly always mean sexual intercourse&nbsp;– more specifically, penile–vaginal intercourse... The widespread, unquestioned equation of penile–vaginal intercourse with sex reflects a failure to examine systematically 'whether the respondent's understanding of the question matches what the researcher had in mind.'}}</ref> or [[tribadism]] as a primary form of sexual activity.<ref name="Greenberg">{{cite book|vauthors=Greenberg JS, Bruess CE, Conklin SC|title= Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality|id = 9780763741488|publisher=[[Jones & Bartlett Learning]]|year=2007|page=429|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZdYh_iFZvbkC&pg=PA429|isbn =978-0-7637-4148-8}}</ref><ref name="Weiten3">{{cite book|vauthors=Weiten W, Dunn DS, Hammer EY|title=Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century|id =1305968476|publisher=[[Cengage Learning]]|year=2016|page=349|isbn =978-0-7637-4148-8|access-date=December 27, 2017|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=09S5DQAAQBAJ&pg=PA349}}</ref>

Researchers commonly use ''sexual intercourse'' to denote penile–vaginal intercourse while using specific words, such as ''anal sex'' or ''oral sex'', for other sexual behaviors.<ref name="Researchers">
* {{cite book|title= Exploring Human Sexuality: Making Healthy Decisions|id = 9780763741488|publisher=[[Allyn & Bacon]]|year=2003|page=229|isbn =978-0-205-38059-6|author1=Richard D. McAnulty |author2=M. Michele Burnette }}
* {{cite book | title = Handbook of Adolescent Psychology | publisher = [[John Wiley & Sons]] | year = 2004 | pages = 193–196 |isbn = 978-0-471-69044-3| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_wXasY1HyAYC&pg=PA193|quote=When researchers use the term ''sex'', they nearly always mean sexual intercourse&nbsp;– more specifically, penile–vaginal intercourse... The widespread, unquestioned equation of penile–vaginal intercourse with sex reflects a failure to examine systematically 'whether the respondent's understanding of the question matches what the researcher had in mind.'| author = Richard M. Lerner| author-link = Richard M. Lerner| author2 = Laurence Steinberg| author2-link = Laurence Steinberg}}
* See [https://books.google.com/books?id=6qNCeI2AcY4C&pg=PT11 page 11 onwards] and [https://books.google.com/books?id=pXXZn_qSoDoC&pg=PA48 pages 47–49] for views on what constitutes virginity loss and therefore sexual intercourse or other sexual activity; source discusses how gay and lesbian individuals define virginity loss, and how the majority of researchers and heterosexuals define virginity loss/"technical virginity" by whether a person has engaged in penile–vaginal sex. {{Cite book|author=Laura M. Carpenter|title=Virginity Lost: An Intimate Portrait of First Sexual Experiences|publisher=[[New York University|NYU Press]]|year = 2005|access-date=October 9, 2011|pages=295 pages |isbn=978-0-8147-1652-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pXXZn_qSoDoC}}
* {{cite book | title = Handbook of Health Psychology | edition = 2nd|publisher = [[Psychology Press]] | year = 2012 | pages = 259–260 |isbn = 978-0-8058-6461-8| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=FZOjc8ouMlsC&pg=PA259|author1=Andrew Baum |author2=Tracey A. A. Revenson |author3=Jerome Singer }}
* {{cite book|vauthors=Aggleton P, Ball A, Mane P|title = Sex, Drugs and Young People: International Perspectives| publisher = [[Routledge]] | year = 2013 | page = 74|isbn =978-1-134-33310-3| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=HWcnAAAAQBAJ|quote=Having started with a discussion of penile-vaginal intercourse as the act that designates sexual initiation, as defined in most studies, we would like to undercut that position by stressing the need to define sex more broadly.}}</ref> Scholars [[Richard M. Lerner]] and [[Laurence Steinberg]] state that researchers also "rarely disclose" how they conceptualize sex "or even whether they resolved potential discrepancies" in conceptualizations of sex.<ref name="Lerner"/> Lerner and Steinberg attribute researchers' focus on penile–vaginal sex to "the larger culture's preoccupation with this form of sexual activity", and have expressed concern that the "widespread, unquestioned equation of penile–vaginal intercourse with sex reflects a failure to examine systematically 'whether the respondent's understanding of the question [about sexual activity] matches what the researcher had in mind'".<ref name="Lerner"/> This focus can also relegate other forms of mutual sexual activity to [[foreplay]] or contribute to them not being regarded as "real sex", and limits the meaning of [[rape]].<ref name="Baum">{{cite book |vauthors=McClelland SI |veditors=Baum A, Revenson TA, Singer J |chapter=Measuring Sexual Quality of Life: Ten Recommendations for Health Psychologists |title=Handbook of Health Psychology |edition=2nd |publisher=[[Psychology Press]] |year=2012 |pages=259–260 |access-date=April 30, 2013 |isbn=978-0-8058-6461-8 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FZOjc8ouMlsC&pg=PA259}}</ref><ref name="Kalbfleisch">{{cite book|vauthors= Kalbfleisch PJ, Cody MJ| title = Gender Power and Communication in Human Relationships | publisher = [[Routledge]] | year = 2012 | page = 153 | access-date = April 30, 2013|isbn = 978-1-136-48050-8| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=LyMo1RUJwj0C&pg=PA153}}</ref> It may also be that conceptually conflating sexual activity with vaginal intercourse and sexual function hinders and limits information about sexual behavior that [[non-heterosexual]] people may be engaging in, or information about heterosexuals who may be engaging in non–vaginal sexual activity.<ref name="Baum"/>

Studies regarding the meaning of sexual intercourse sometimes come into conflict. While most consider penile–vaginal intercourse to be sex, whether anal or oral intercourse are considered sex is more debatable, with oral sex ranking lowest.<ref name="Upton">{{cite book|vauthors=UD, TK|title =Promoting Healthy Behaviour: A Practical Guide | publisher = [[Routledge]] | year = 2014 | pages = 243–248|isbn =978-1-317-81887-8| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=63XMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA243}}</ref><ref name="Aggleton 1">{{cite book|vauthors=Aggleton P, Ball A, Mane P|title = Sex, Drugs and Young People: International Perspectives| publisher = [[Routledge]] | year = 2013 | pages = 74–75|isbn =978-1-134-33310-3| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=HWcnAAAAQBAJ}}</ref> The [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) stated that "although there are only limited national data about how often adolescents engage in oral sex, some data suggest that many adolescents who engage in oral sex do not consider it to be 'sex'; therefore they may use oral sex as an option to experience sex while still, in their minds, remaining abstinent".<ref name="CDC, oral sex">{{cite web|title=Oral Sex and HIV Risk |date=June 2009 |access-date=August 30, 2013 |publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) |url=https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/Factsheets/pdf/oralsex.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510210937/http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/Factsheets/pdf/oralsex.pdf |archive-date=May 10, 2013 }}</ref> Upton et al. stated, "It is possible that individuals who engage in oral sex, but do not consider it as 'sex', may not associate the acts with the potential health risks they can bring."<ref name="Upton"/> In other cases, [[condom]] use is a factor, with some men stating that sexual activity involving the protection of a condom is not "real sex" or "the real thing".<ref name="Engel">{{cite book| author = Jonathan Engel | title = The Epidemic: A History of Aids | publisher = [[HarperCollins]] | year = 2009 | page = 242 | access-date = August 30, 2013 |isbn = 978-0-06-185676-1| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=GQud7Hf6oLIC&pg=PT242|quote=Many men simply did not like the feel of condoms, or associated them with emasculation. They say, 'Unless it's flesh on flesh, it's not real sex...}}</ref><ref name="Wekwete">{{cite book| author = Naomi N. Wekwete | title = Adolescent Pregnancy Challenges in the Era of HIV and AIDS: A Case Study of a Selected Rural Area in Zimbabwe | publisher = African Books Collective | year = 2010 | page = 49 | access-date = August 30, 2013 |isbn = 978-99944-55-48-5| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LB45dcqSOpsC&pg=PA49}}</ref> This view is common among men in Africa,<ref name="Engel"/><ref name="Wekwete"/> where sexual activity involving the protection of a condom is often associated with [[emasculation]] because condoms prevent direct penile–to–skin genital contact.<ref name="Engel"/>